Report: Iran mulling restart of uranium enrichment

November 26, 2005

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Top Iranian officials met less than two months ago to weigh whether to restart their country's uranium enrichment program -- a possible pathway to nuclear arms, according to a confidential report cited by diplomats Friday. The diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, referred to a report being circulated among the 35 board members of the International Atomic Energy Agency citing an Iranian government source on his country's plans for enrichment. The four-page report cited the Iranian Foreign Ministry source as saying chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani met with members of the country's nuclear negotiating team in late October to discuss the timing of resuming the enrichment program, one of the envoys told The Associated Press. "It wasn't a particular suggestion that they were ready to do it anytime soon," the diplomat said. Still, he said the meeting was yet another indication that the Iranians were intent on keeping control of the enrichment process -- at least before the prospect was floated several weeks ago of new negotiations with key European powers meant to keep the technology out of their hands. He said part of the report was apparently based on intelligence from Western countries but declined to elaborate. Uranium enrichment can be used to generate power but also to make weapons-grade material for nuclear warheads. Iran says it wants only to make fuel, but international concern is growing that the program could be misused. While Iran has frozen its nascent enrichment program, it restarted uranium conversion -- a precursor to enrichment -- in August. France, Germany and Britain, negotiating for the European Union, subsequently broke off talks with Tehran meant to ease tensions over its nuclear activities.